One-Pot Italian Chickpea Soup Recipe with Parmesan
This cozy Italian Chickpea Soup is loaded with tons of flavor and nutrition! And it's honestly one of my favorite soups when I'm craving a plant-based meal. The perfect combination of hearty chickpeas, parmesan cheese, vegetables, and fresh herbs + lemon. It's delicious, filling, and the best part is everything simmers in one pot for easy clean-up.
Equipment
- 1 dutch oven or large pot
- 1 sharp kitchen knife
- 1 blender
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 small yellow onion, chopped
- 2 carrots, diced
- 2 stalks celery, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 1 tablespoon tomato paste
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon dried thyme (or 1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves)
- 1 teaspoon dried oregano
- ¼ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1-1.5 teaspoon kosher salt (I suggest to start with 1 teaspoon and add more to taste)
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 (15 oz) cans chickpeas, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 oz) can crushed tomatoes
- 4 cups low sodium vegetable broth
- 1 parmesan rind
- ½ cup grated parmesan cheese
- 2 cups baby spinach (optional)
- 1 tablespoon fresh squeezed lemon juice (juice of ½ a lemon)
- ½ cup fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
- Chop the carrot, celery, bell pepper, and onions into small pieces. Mince the fresh garlic. Drain and rinse the chickpeas. Heat the olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the onions, carrot, celery, and red bell pepper. Heat, stirring frequently, for 5-7 minutes or until the onions are translucent and other vegetables start to soften.
- Add the garlic, tomato paste, thyme, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt, and pepper. Stir constantly until everything is well coated, fragrant, and the tomato paste is deepening in color. This step helps add lots of flavor!
- Add the chickpeas, vegetable broth, crushed tomato, and parmesan rind to the pot and bring the pot to a gentle boil. Too strong of a boil can toughen chickpeas so keep an eye on it.
- Lower heat and simmer 20-25 minutes to let the flavors deepen. Cooking time will vary a bit depending on how soft you prefer your vegetables. Turn off heat and carefully remove the parmesan rind. Blend 2 cups of the soup. Add it back to the pot. Alternatively, you can blend it to your desired thickness with an immersion blender.
- While soup is still hot, add the spinach and stir until it wilts.
- Once spinach is wilted, add in half the parmesan and let it melt a couple of minutes. Add the lemon and fresh parsley. Serve with remaining parmesan.
Video
Notes
Expert Tips
- Be sure to drain and rinse the canned chickpeas before adding them to the soup.
- Chop the vegetables into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly.
- Don't skip the step of letting the spices combine with the vegetables and tomato pasta for at least 30 seconds. Seasoning soup as you go helps build more flavor.
- If the veggies are sticking to the bottom of the pot, turn down the heat a bit. But don't worry, the browned bits will add flavor.
- If you prefer a thick soup, blend more than the 2 cups the recipe calls for. You can even blend half of it and add it back to the pot.
- Don't skip the squeeze of lemon added at the end to brighten it up.
- Let the soup sit for 5-10 minutes then give it a taste and add more salt as needed.
- Meal Prep - If you want to prep ahead, chop your onion, carrots, celery, and bell pepper in advance so they’ll be ready to go when you make the soup.
- Refrigerator Storage - let soup cool and store in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave or on medium-high heat on the stove. Add a little extra broth if it's thickened.
- Freezer Storage - store in the freezer in a freezer-safe containers for up to 3 months. To reheat from frozen, thaw in the refrigerator overnight and then heat it in the microwave or on the stovetop.
For more nutrition information and tips, visit mallorythedietitian.com. I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I do! 😊
Nutrition
Serving: 1cupCalories: 200kcalCarbohydrates: 28gProtein: 10gFat: 7gSaturated Fat: 1gPolyunsaturated Fat: 2gMonounsaturated Fat: 3gCholesterol: 1mgSodium: 600mgPotassium: 560mgFiber: 9g
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